AMN SCULPTURES

January 14, 2018 / By Lea Maleh

The first AMN series of four sculptures is inspired by liturgical objects such as candlesticks, candelabras and censers.Growing up in a place where religious conflict was an everyday reality, Lea wished to address the debate between religion and human spirituality. On one hand, uncoupling an object, emptying it of all meaning and religious symbols to get back to basics: unity. The multiplication of circles and the use of white, archetype of unity, symbolising the universal values of love, tolerance and compassion, common to all cultures. On the other hand, stripping it from any external religious symbols, wouldn’t it be a representation of today’s secularism that tends to anti religion? Similarly to when we identify an object by analysing its ornaments, don’t we do the same with human beings? We judge, we reject their differences and their religions. Yet, aren’t our differences our own ornaments?

Beyond its spiritual dimension, this series demonstrably highlights new ways of working. Nevertheless, these sculptures, all produced using new technologies, are as much the work of the human hand, which is omnipresent, as the machine’s. Each work is a new experiment, made using a different technique. The exploration of these contemporary methods of manufacturing made Lea very aware of the evolution of the craftsman’s trade, which led her to put forward the concept of Craft 2.0.